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The date was perfect, in fact everyday after the date was too. That night Sam had her meet him at his restaurant and he sat her in the "family" booth. It shocked her because that was a booth reserved just for family. No one who wasn't family sat there unless an Evans was going to make you family. When Marley sat there for the first time they all damn near died. And now Sam had her sit there. Then after the placed closed down they went up to his place and made love for hours, after as per usual Sam walked her back to the hotel and kissed her good night. It had been their routine, with him coming to her a night or two when she had been swamped.
She knew she was playing with fire, and eventually Sam would fall in love and Marry someone his mom deemed acceptable, but for right now she was happy, blissfully so. Sam no longer saw her as Cam's little sister or as a friend, he made her his lover and was caring, attentive and down right sexy in doing so.
Right now she was finishing up paperwork so she could meet Sam for lunch. He had held her lips hostage early into the morning until she agreed to join him, so she got up early and spend all morning making sure that everything was in place before she left. She was humming a tune inputting the last of the files when someone knocked on her door. As she said come in she was surprised to see Marley and Quinn.
"Hey ladies what do i owe this pleasure?"
Quinn smiled taking a seat. "Well Marley and I were just on our way to the restaurant when we realized we were in a dilemma."
Mercedes sat up removing the glasses she only wore when she was in her work state. "Tell me what happened?"
Marley sat up. "Well you know I help out with the high school and we just lost our location for Prom. The kids worked so hard saving money, paying dues, doing fundraisers to make sure they don't have to have prom in their gym. We know your hall cost more than they have but we were thinking if they volunteered here or did anything to ease the bill you would consider hosting?"
Mercedes opened her calendar. "When is it?"
"Marley smiled. Two weeks from tomorrow. They have raised a little over $7,500 and am working on a bake sale/raffle ticket that should bring in about $1000 more if we have good items donated."
"Looks like your kids are in luck, we have a luncheon that will be over by Three and nothing else that day, so if they want it, its theirs."
"And the fees?"
"Well they are going to have to set up and clean up themselves, and have a DJ for the night. But if they volunteer next Saturday and the Women's League food drive, I have take 20 percent off our fees which should give them just enough to rent the hall and get decorations. And considering you know a pretty great chef, if they use some of that money to buy the food i am sure he can work something out with him. I am going over there for lunch if you want me to ask?"
Quinn beamed, "He was actually our next stop. We wanted him to raffle off some meals as well."
Mercedes reached into her drawer and smiled brightly.
"So I hosted the Movie theater's 20 years anniversary a few weeks back and they gave me like 50 vouchers for free movies to put in our gift bags. I have been randomly handing them out and have about 15 left. You can have them raffle these off. And also…"
She continued searching until she found what she was looking for. "If any of the teachers want to enter the raffle or the parents you can raffle this off. It's a voucher for a night stay in one of our suites. It's not much but those should help, also check with Stacy I know some of her clients have things they might be able to donate as well."
Quinn stood walking over to Mercedes and hugged her. "You are amazing. You have no idea what you are doing for these kids."
"Oh I do, and now I have to break the news to Henri."
Marley laughed standing and hugging Mercedes as well. "Tell him its for the kids and if that doesn't work, tell him if he really wants to help he can make the desserts for free."
Mercedes laughed. "Will do. And I will see you guys at the restaurant shortly."
Quinn and Marley left with huge smiles as Mercedes made sure to input the date for the Prom in her computer and ledger. She also made sure to put the price down, 30 percent less the normal price, that way they could save some money in case they run short on things. After finishing everything she made her way to the restaurant which looked like a madhouse. She walked over to a flustered Sam who was standing at one of the registers. He smiled when he saw her.
"Well aren't you a breath of fresh air?"
"Sam what's going on? This place is buzzing."
"Two Tour buses full of women. 50 women each wanting their own checks. The problem is that everything was wrung up as one, and with Jane gone for the afternoon and the rest of the staff working on other tables I am getting railed trying to create individual receipts and checks."
Mercedes nodded. "Okay what can I do to help?"
"Oh umm you can help me make up these checks?"
She nodded and went right to the register next to him, No hesitation, not quarms just there to lend a hand. He would never stop being amazed by her. She turned to him as Mason walked over to them.
"Sam they are getting antsy."
"Tell them it will be a few more minutes."
Sam wrung up another check and looked over to mercedes again who was already done with three.
"How are you beating me at this?"
"Well maybe it's cause I have worked the register before at the gift shop and restaurant while in school, or maybe it's because I am not staring at you while i do my work."
Sam blushed looking away and together they had everything wrong up in no time. Now it was just a matter of chasing everyone out. Mercedes looked at Mason. "Mason could you ask Quinn, Stacy and Marley to come here please."
Sam raised an eyebrow but mercedes didn't pay him any mind she just kept working and smiled. "Those receipts are gonna bring themselves up sam."
Mason snorted as the ladies joined her. "Guys these women are here on a shopping trip, they maybe you can give them an idea on where to shop or things to do as tourist while we finish ringing them up."
The women went to work helping and Sam shook his head, he didn't even think of it like that. "You are amazing you know that?"
Mercedes shrugged, "I have been told a time or two." She beamed.
Within no time all of the women were wrung out and they were a buzz at all the places there were that they could shop, as well as Quinn sneaking in if they ever needed a place to stay they could check out Mercedes hotel. By the end, they went to the booth where Simon, Mike and Stevie were seated already. Everyone took a seat and Sam pulled Mercedes down to sit next to him. He took her hand in his and smiled. "Thank you, you saved me back there."
Mercedes smiled and notice Sam moving her hand to his lips and pulled away. She could see the way everyone was looking at them and wasn't sure Sam was ready for that kind of gossip in his family.
"I am sure if I was in trouble at the restaurant you would help me too."
"That I would."
When she pulled her hand away Sam looked up and saw why she did it, they were caught. He cleared his throat glad she pulled away. Him taking her hand was instinct, it was natural and he didn't need his siblings making it more than it was. "Okay so what will everyone have?"
Sam took their orders and left to put them in himself. After a few moments Mason came in to tell him not to make Mercedes order, that she had left. He went out to see what happened but she was long gone when he did. He called her and left her a message to remember to eat and that he would see her later tonight at her place.
He made everyone's food and brought it back out, sighing that Mercedes had left without saying goodbye.
"Do you guys know why Mercedes left?"
Simon shrugged, "She said she forgot she had a meeting, though I never took her as the forgetful type."
Quinn smiled. "Mercedes is amazing. She is letting us use her Banquet Hall for the kids Prom, with a discount and she donate for the raffle. She truly is an amazing person."
Marley nodded. "She is, and she is so caring, I didn't even think to help you Sam and I am sorry, I just figured you had it under control."
Sam nodded as they dug in, they aren't saying anything he didn't know already. As they finished eating soon he was just left with Stacy and Stevie, and as soon as the door closed behind Marley, Stacy hit Sam in the back of the head. "You massive idiot! How could you? I swear you beat everyones time for falling."
Stevie sat back, "How could you? I thought you were strong that you had this in the bag, but to get sprung so fast? I am doom."
"What the hell are you two rambling on about?"
"You and Mercedes!" Stacy said quite loudly, she went to smack his head again but he dodged it smacking her hand away. "Girl you are gonna stop that! Look Mercedes is a great woman and I like spending time with her but its not a forever kinda thing."
Stacy rolled her eyes as she folded her arms. "Idiot." She spat.
Stevie sighed. "I wonder if Mom knows you are ready to walk down the aisle?"
"You two have truly lost your minds. And please leave mom out of this, that is the last thing i need. I am telling you we are just having fun, nothing more."
"Oh? Really? Because I saw the way you were looking at her at the register and then in the booth you were all over her, looking all smug and happy."
Sam shook his head. "I was not."
"Yeah you were Sam, we all saw it."
Stacy took a sip of her drink. "Lord, only a man wouldn't know when he fell in love."
Sam threw his hands in the air. "Will you please stop saying that! I am not in love."
"You are so far gone that you can't even see it Sam! I swear you won't notice it till you are halfway down the aisle in as tux!"
"I have not fallen, not at all."
Stacy ran her hands through her hair. "Sam you may be this amazing chef and perspective when it comes to food people love but when it comes to love you are clueless, I can't believe how deep in denial you are. I can't believe I helped you fall for her!"
Sam looked at Stacy. "What are you talking about?"
"Mercedes came to me wanting a new wardrobe, I knew she wanted to land a man I just didn't know it was you."
"See now I know you are crazy, Mercedes wouldn't do that."
"Sam, she played you."
"Stop it! Mercedes is too sweet for that. She had even given up on finding a man after she asked me to help her and those losers came to town."
Stacy hit the table. "Sam wake up and smell the chanel no 5. That is the oldest trick in the book. What man doesn't want a woman other men wanted. She brought those guys around to make you jealous and I would say it worked. You better be lucky I love you and like mercedes or I would be even more pissed that we are next, I can't believe you are this gullible."
She looked at Stevie. "Stevie you are my last hope, please put up a better fight than this hopeless sac over here. It didn't even take two months."
Stevie and Stacy came to their feet. "Well at least mom will be pleased. Though you didn't fall for the designer."
Stevie sighed. "You don't have to ask I will be your best man, but don't get upset if you see me crying. I am just mourning life as I knew it."
His siblings left and Sam stared after them, they were wrong, Mercedes wouldn't have used him like that, she cared way too much about him to hurt him. But a nagging part of him knew they were right, about more than her tricking him.